State hearing addresses proposed Windsor gas pipeline

Oct. 20, 2010

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WINDSOR -- A few dozen people turned out Wednesday evening for a state hearing on a proposed natural gas pipeline in the Town of Windsor, which would connect Susquehanna County, Pa., gas wells to a transmission line servicing major Northeast markets.

About 9.8 miles of the 33-mile pipeline, which is being proposed by DMP New York Inc. and Houston-based Laser Northeast Gathering Co., would run from the Pennsylvania border and under Route 17 before connecting to a compressor station on a Laser-owned plot of land between Dunbar and Patterson roads.

Some speakers pointed to the necessity of pipelines for natural gas development, while others asked the Public Service Commission to put the project under a stronger microscope.

Because the New York portion is less than 10 miles long, it faces a streamlined approval process from the PSC. The pipeline could service wells in New York if the state starts approving Marcellus Shale drilling permits.

"This application is not about a 9.82-mile pipeline," said Evan Romer, a Windsor resident. "It's about a much more extensive system with a much bigger environmental impact."

Alex Parillo, a field representative for Laborers Local 785, touted the jobs the project could bring to the region.

"At this time, we have reasonable assurance that Laser Northeast will be using a reputable and responsible New York-based contractor for the construction of the pipeline and compressor station," he said.

By having both Laser and DMP on the application, the project would have eminent domain powers, according to the PSC's Steve Blow. DMP, which registered as a corporation in New York in July and is owned by the same group as Laser, is considered a transportation company under state law, giving it the ability to use eminent domain to obtain land easements.

DMP and Laser CEO Thomas Karam said eminent domain is "bad business" and the company only has to strike a deal with one more New York landowner and "three or four" more in Pennsylvania. The project is still under consideration in Pennsylvania.